Whalen



E. WHALEN Sept. 17, 1957 TOY BANK Original Filed Aug. 25, 1951 ENTOREli-261M); Whalen TTORNEY United States Patent O TOY BANK ElizabethWhalen, New York, N. Y.

Original No. 2,768,472, dated October 30, 1956, Serial No. 243,725,August 25, 1951. Application for reissue May 10, 1957, Serial No.658,907

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-2) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets II] appears inthe original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification;matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to a toy bank, and more particularly to a toybank which evidences changes in contour during use in saving.

It is an object of my invention to provide a toy bank which provides anincentive to continued saving by showing evidence of the effect ofdepositing coins or like legal tender into the receptacle by a change incontour of the bank.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a toy banksimulating, in a measure, some live object which, in life, wouldevidence growth and change in contour as a result of feeding, and to usethis change as a stimulus to saving.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a toy bankof simulated animation as a result of depositing coins to its interior,comprising the storage chamber, to the point where a portion of the bodynormally associated with growth evidences change, as the coins or thelike are deposited within the bank.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide atoy bank which takes on a change in contour as coins are depositedtherein and relies on the gravitational influence of the coins in thebank to augment the change in dimensions, involving diiferentiallydistensible materials, one of which is distensible to the point in anembodiment thereof where it breaks and releases the contents when themaximum distension has been achieved.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide atoy bank made of rubber or like distensible material in which a portionthereof is formed with such distensibility that the deposition of coinsor the like to its interior will evidence distension or growth therebyto create interest by the analogy to the growth or change in form of the[live] live object, such as a human or animal which it simulates.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a toy bank in accordancewith one embodiment of my invention before use;

Figure 2 is a similar view after extended use with coins saved therein;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of another embodiment of my invention.

Making reference to the drawing, the toy bank is illustrated by me inthe form of a simulated pig sitting on its haunches and has a bodyportion casing or shell 10 made of rubber or similar moldable materialoutlining a hollow section or chamber 11 above the base 12 representingits haunches. The hollow section 11 at the top of its head Re. 24,355Reissued Sept. 17, 1957 has a coin slot 13 with which a passage 14connects to the hollow section 11. The hollow section or chamber 11includes a downwardly inclined wall 15 leading to the passage 14, spacedfrom the outer surface 16 to provide a relatively indistensible chamber,and to so direct the coins deposited through the slot 13 that they slidetoward the chamber segment limited by the annular rim 17. But for theincident friction, I prefer the coins dropped in the slot 13 to slide toedge 17 readily. A thin membrane 18 of readily distensible material,such as sheet rubber, covers and is connected to the rim 17 to close thecavity 11, and but for this covering the coins would slide past the rim.The membrane 18 may be ornamented to carry out the simulation of thebelly of the pig, in the illustration" given.

I prefer to make the membrane 18 of sheet rubber which has thedistensible characteristics of toy balloon: rubber sheeting. Othersheeting may be used, in accordance with the susceptibility todistension which it is desired to effect, in simulating growth or changein size;

I have illustrated rubber constituting the main body. of the animal andemploying a sheet rubber of balloon distensibility for the membrane 18.Such construction: may lend itself readily to simultaneous molding of anintegral construction, employing for the body a rubber compositionwhich, when vulcanized, will result in a relatively rigid materialcompared with the membrane 18,; Whose composition is likewise alteredwhen cured to give a wide degree of stretch or distension.

It will be observed, however, that I may, instead of producing anintegral construction, produce the body from relatively rigid materials,such as pottery, plaster of Paris or ceramics, and leave the edges 17free to have connected thereto and to be covered by a separatelyattached membrane of the desired distensible character.

While I have described and illustrated a toy in the form of a pig, itwill be understood that the analogy of growth may be carried out withother objects, and for this purpose I have illustrated in Figure 6 asimulation of a pelican in which the body 19, is supported upon the base20 constituting its feet. Greater attraction may be given to this, aswell as the original embodiment, by giving it some whimsical appearance.

The head 21, as is the body, is formed of relatively indistensible orrigid or semi-rigid material. A coin slot 22 is formed in the head andleads to a passage 23 to the bill cavity portion 24. The upper portionof the bill is rigid and the lower portion of the bill has therepresentation of the gular pouch made of a distensible membrane 25, asis the membrane 18 in the prior embodiment. Here, too, an inclined wall26 which is provided from the passage to the cavity of the bill 24assures gravitational movement of the coins to the chamber defined bythe annular edges 27, which are covered by the membrane 25, and assuresa quick response of the weight of the coins to change the contour of themembrane.

Known to me is the provision of toy banks in which the effect of growthis attempted by expansion, as where a so-called piggy-bank" is formed byfilling one or two hemi-spherical segments through a slot against thetension of an enveloping covering of knit material or rubber sheeting.Such bank does not evidence growth until after a full condition of thesphere or spheres is achieved. In accordance with my invention,progressive growth is promptly evidenced as said chamber contents aredirectly sensible and compressible to the touch through the closureformed by the membranes 18 and 25, whereby to feel the coins andcontents in said chamber by manipulation.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated 1. In a toy bankhaving an animate shell or casing which is provided with a head'portionhaving a coin slot, and a coin receiving chamber [and a passage fromsaid slot to said chamber], said chamber being outlined by Wall portionsof the shell positioned with respect to the coin slot [and passage] sothat gravitationally [the] coins may [slide] move directly unobstructedto said chamber, [a portion] said wall portions of said shell beingpositioned with respectto the coin slot [and passage] so thatgravitationally the coins may [slide] move directly unobstructedthereagainst and being formed of distensible material to enclose thechamber and solely to support the coins withinsaid chamber from[sliding] moving downwardly vand'outwardly thereof,'said [portion] wallportions being responsive to the weight of the coins to be progressivelydistended with the addition of coins to the chamber and [said] thechamber contents being directly sensible and compressible to the touchthrough the [closure] wall portions, whereby to feel the coins in saidchamber by manipulation. a,

2. In 'a toy bank having an animate shell or casing which is providedwith a head portion having a coin slot, a coin receiving chamber and apassage from said slot to said chamber, said chamber, being outlined byrelatively rigid walls constituting a portion of the shell andterminating in an annular rim and positioned with respect to the coinslot and passage so that gravitationally the coins may slide directlyunobstructed to said rim and a closure of distensible material connectedto said rim to provide the'sole means to enclose the chamber and coversaid rim and solely to support the coins within said chamber fromsliding over said rim, said closure being responsive to the Weight ofthe coins to be progressively distended with the addition of the coinsto the chamber and said chamber contents being directly sensible andcompressible to the touch through the closure whereby to feel the coinsin said chamber by manipulation.

3. In a toy bank having an animate shell or casing which is providedwith a coin slot at an upper portion thereof, a coin receiving chamberat a lower portion thereof, and an inclined passage from said slot tosaid chamber, said chamber being outlined by relatively rigid wallsconstituting a portion of the shell and terminating in an annular rimand positioned so that gravitationally the coins may slide toward saidrim and a distensible membrane covering and sealed to said rim, saidmembrane being of relatively frangible, distensible sheeting responsivedirectly to the weight of the coins, to be progressively distended andconsisting of the sole closure for said chamber and within limits tobreak under the weight of the coins of the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,521,532 Hansen Dec. 30, 1924 2065,47 3 LiwschutzDec. 22, 1936 2,488,807 Kimball Sept, 7, 1948

